MOUNTAIN LION: Big Cat Reported Near School

The playground at Clay Elementary School in Altoona was unusually quiet Wednesday during recess. Kids were kept inside the building amid fears over a mountain lion.

A witness told school officials she saw a mountain lion cross the street about a mile away from the school. Police checked out the area, but didn’t spot any sign of a big cat.

On Monday the manager of an apartment complex on East Hubbell Avenue reported seeing a mountain lion. The complex is about three miles west of the school. Experts say it wouldn’t be surprising for a mountain lion to travel that far.

“Absolutely because those big cats can move 30, 40, 50 miles a day pretty easily.” says Kevin Baskins with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, “Sometimes greater distances.”